Laurel and Hardy double the fun here as a pair of twin brothers separated at childhood, and the film does it's best to keep them apart as they manage to confound everyone in their immediate vicinity, including wives Bubbles Laurel (Betty Healey) and Daphne Hardy (Daphne Pollard). I was expecting the 'lost' Bert and Al to show up as a couple of villains since that seemed to be the set up with Ollie's letter from his Mother, but they wound up being as bumbling a duo as Stan and Ollie. Arriving ashore via the SS Periwinkle, part of their gag consists of investing their earnings with James Finlayson, and delivering a pearl ring for their Captain (Sidney Toler). As the pace of the picture quickens, it's easy enough to get the brother pairs mixed up if you're not paying attention, but the sound track helps out a bit, using the familiar Laurel and Hardy theme music when Stan and Ollie appear on screen, while a typical pirate tune heralds the seafaring duo. When I was watching these Laurel and Hardy flicks as a kid back in the Fifties, the pictures weren't quite twenty years old; now, they're not quite eighty years old! Still, it's easy enough to recall the better ones when you catch a scene like the cement tub gag at the end of the story, with the boys rocking back and forth in that impossible balancing act. All in all, a fun romp with one of the classic comedy duos from the early days.

While this full-length Laurel and Hardy film is far from their best, it is very watchable and a lot better than such films as SWISS MISS, BABES IN TOYLAND or their films for RKO or FOX. The film is a cute story about mismatched twin brothers--in addition to Stan and Ollie, the both have identical twins (Alf and Burt) that went off to sea. While this didn't provide any serious belly-laughs, the situation was cute and the performances were engaging when the four men all come to the same town--not realizing their twins were there as well. There were many, many mix-ups and in the process, Stan and Ollie were thrown out by their wives who saw Alf and Burt flirting with some hussies, and Alf and Burt were accused of stealing something that was accidentally given to Stan and Ollie. In addition to not having the usual number of laughs, this film also hinged on one premise that became a bit old after a while. It was almost like one of their short films had been stretched to feature-length. Not bad stuff at all, but a bit ordinary as well. A must for Laurel and Hardy fans, but pretty forgettable for everyone else.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were comedic geniuses, individually and together, and their partnership was deservedly iconic and one of the best there was. They left behind a large body of work, a vast majority of it being entertaining to classic comedy, at their best they were hilarious and their best efforts were great examples of how to do comedy without being juvenile or distasteful.

Didn't find 'Our Relations' one of the duo's best, they have done better short and feature films. In a filmography that was mostly solid to classic (only '45 Minutes from Hollywood' misfired for me, and 'The Bohemian Girl' was a mixed bag, but that was very early on when their partnership and style hadn't formed or evolved and when Hardy especially was not being used well),nonetheless it is still good and has much of what makes Laurel and Hardy's work as appealing as it is.

'Our Relations' story is a little convoluted and over-stuffed, with a little too much going on, and at times too reliant on coincidence.

Also found it a bit of a slow-starter with a draggy first third where there is a little too much talk for my liking. The pier scene is somewhat sloppily edited.

However, 'Our Relations' is nonetheless very funny, like towards the end and in the bar. It is rarely dull, going at a snappy pace, and there is energy in the slapstick and sly wit, silly and typical of the duo but in an endearing and entertaining way. The second half is much better, livelier in pace and chockfull of beautifully timed gags and wit.

Both Laurel and Hardy are on top form, especially Laurel (such as towards the end). They are equally funny with impeccable comic timing physically and verbally, this is not a case of one being funnier and having more screen time than the other (in their early efforts Laurel tended to be funnier and better used). Their chemistry is legendary for a reason and it is obvious here. The supporting cast are up to their level, especially James Finlayson (well used) and Alan Hale, who has some funny lines.

In conclusion, not one of the duo's best overall but among the mid-better end when it comes to their feature films. 7/10 Bethany Cox